I want this man to be a man of natural intelligence, of individual
character, absolutely open and broad minded; and show how the Creator
of the earth has got him in a rat trap--put him here "willy nilly" (you
know the Omar verse); and then I want to show what he does about it.
There is always the eternal question from the Primal Source--"What are
you going to do about it?"
Please don't think for the half of a moment that the story is going to
be anything of an autobiography. I have a distinct character in my mind
for the part, and he does not at all
[Here the letter ends. He never finished it.]
THE STORY OF "HOLDING UP A TRAIN"
[In "Sixes and Sevens" there appears an article entitled
"Holding Up a Train." Now the facts were given to O. Henry
by an old and dear friend who, in his wild avenging youth,
had actually held up trains. To-day he is Mr. Al. Jennings,
of Oklahoma City, Okla., a prominent attorney. He has
permitted the publication of two letters O. Henry wrote
him, the first outlining the story as he thought his friend
Jennings ought to write it, and the second announcing that,
with O.
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